Cane car and the like



Dec. 14 1926.

Li D. GREGG c'ANE CAR AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 10 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 mom/Er Dec. 14 1926-. 1,610,771

L. D. GREGG CANE CAR AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 10, 1925 is Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 14 I926, 1,816,771"

L. D. GREGG CANE CAR AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 10, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 v a. a fl F, 1 -lfirllliullu NIL mHHnHHHNHnHHHw i Patented Dec. 14, 1926.

llE stares sari-ear LQUIS D. GREGG, OF HACKENSACK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGHOE T9 THE GEEGGCGMZAI'JY,

LIMITED, OF NEW YORK, N. 521, A GORPGE-ATIOH Q1 NEW YQRK.

,CANE CAR AND THE LIKE.

Application filed January This invention relates primarily to rail way or other cars of the type employed for the transportation of sugar cane, although not necessarily limited to this specific use, and, more particularly, to the closure on the discharge side or end of such oars.

These cars, now more or less standardized both in wood and in steel, comprise an underframe which is covered with a solid or slat flooring and commonly carries, the cane being usually loaded lengthwise of the car, rigidly. mounted thereon solid or open-frame end walls and, in the case of the longercars, intermediate thereof one or more similar transverse walls dividing the car into a plurality of compartments; and, for the side closure, equipped with stakes removably set into stake-pockets attached usually to both sides of the underframe or, on one or both sides, with some form of side-discharge door pivotally mounted at the top or bottomto swing outwardly about a horizontal longitudinal axis.

As heretofore constructed, however, the cars have all proven unsatisfactory in some respect at least. In order to carry the amount of cane required for their economicaluse, the older cars, withthe three-foot (more or less) ends and sides ordinarily provided have been loaded high above the top of the superstructure, which could only be done by expensive hand labor. When the loading is done by mechanical derricks or other labor-saving devices, the ends and sides of the cars must be made abouttwice the usual height, or'say six feet. This in itself renders unavailable the discharge door hinged on its lower side, since the height (or width) of the door does not permit it to swin down oer endicularl or far enou h to be out of the way of the falling cane. Moreover, the increased pressure of the load, the cane instead of being hand-laid being in a more or less jumbled condition when dropped into the cars by the mechanical loaders, is too great for the side stakes sup ported only at their lower ends in stakepockets, and hence it has been the practice to further support these taller stakes, at or near their upper ends, by a rigidly mounted horizontal rail. But, while cars equipped with stakes thus supported and cars equipped with discharge doors pivoted at the top can 'be unloaded by lifting the cane out from the top or by tipping the cars about thirty de- 10, 1925. Serial No. 1 ,G'l8.

grees to the side, the fixed rail for bracing the stakes or to which the swinging door is hinged renders impossible the use of either of the two forms of convenient mechanical rakes which have been developed for the two sections of which are respectively hinged at their outer ends to the two'walls of the car, to swing outwardly thereon, and when moved to closed position are releasably joined at their inner ends to form a rail capabio of sustaining the outward thrust of the load. A single rail mounted near the top of the walls is ordinarily used to brace the upper ends of the usual stakes or frames, or of stiff steel plates, which, if desired, may be attached to its sections and whichat their lower ends are secured to the side of the underframe in releasing stake-pockets or by a locking bar or other equivalent means. In some cases, however, the vertical members of the closure may be omitted and, in place thereof,,an additional rail-or rails maybe mounted on the walls intermediate the top rail and the underframe. In either case, the closure when released and opened up leaves the entire side of the car clear above the 'underframe.

The invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which V Figure l is a view in elevation, of the discharge side of a car, showing one practical embodiment of my new separable rail closure; Fi 2 is a similar view of one-half of a car and of a somewhat modified form of the closure; Fig. 3 is a View, in side clevation, of a car in which is embodied a further modification of my improved discharge closure; Fig. 4 is a partial elevationof one end of the'car shown in Fig. 3, showing a means for locking and releasing the locking-bar; and Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. a, of a modification of such locking and releasing means.

As therein illustrated, A is the umlerframe of the can-B, B are the steel channel corner stakes of its end walls, C, C are the two sections of the separable horizontal rail, and D, D are the stakes or vertical members of the closure. The rail sections are preferably of suitable rolled steel shapes, such as the channels shown. They may be hinged to the corner stakes by anysuitable means, but a hinge member 1 which is attached to the outerend ot the rail section and is pivoted to the head of an eye-bolt 2 swiveled in a bearing block 3 on the outer flange ot the corner post provides a convenient flexible connection which permits the sections to drop as they swing outwardly. The bar 1-, which is set in keepers 5, on the rail sections, joins the two sections and renders the rail rigid against outward lateral pressure, while locking-pins 6, 6 (Fig. l), plugged into registering holes in the bar and the flanges of the rail sections, prevent the dropping of their inner ends. The locking-pins or some equivalent means for holding the rail sections in horizontal alignment necessarywhere the hinge connections are flexible and where, as shown in Fig. l, the rail serves merely to brace and is not attached to the stakes l), D, which are supported only at their lower ends, inthe releasing stake-pockets 7, 7. It the stakes are bolted to the rail sections, as shown at 6, 6, Fig. 2, nothing of the kind is necessary since the stakes, resting on the bottoms of the pockets, serve to holdup the center of the rail.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3, the rail sections C, O are longer and overlap for a substantial distance at their inner ends 8 8, one of the two channel sections'being wider so that its flanges will straddle the flanges of the other, and give lateral rigidity to thejointure. The tour stakes D, D are arranged in pairs and the stakes or each pair are attached at their upper ends to a rail section and at their lower ends are joined by a: horizontal connecting member 9. A locking-bar 10, with lever-arm 11 and an offset 12 opposite the connecting member of each pair of stakes, is swiveled to the side of the undertrame in eye-bolts 13 and serves to lock the stakes to the underi'rame not only against lateral movement but also, in cooperation with a pin 14 set in each connecting member 9, against movement either up or down, thereby giving'firmness and rigidity to the closure. The release of the locking bar simultaneously releases all of the stakes which, as they are thrown out and drop, open up the jointure of the rail sections and so clear the side of the car. To secure the locks ing-bar in locking position, its lever-arm is caught and held against the web of the corner stake by the hooked end 15 of a rod 16 which is swiveled in the web of the corner stake and the flange of a middle or intermediate stake B of the wall. As shown in Fig. 4, the rod 16 is held against axial movement by a collar-'17 on one side, and a hollow elbow 18 pinnedtoits endon the other side, of the flange offthe stake B and it is at the end of the car back from its dischargev side, where there is no danger oi being hit by the outward swing or the rail section and stakes, and its accidental release is eii'ec tively prevented by the weight or the pivoted crank-arm 19 and the fact that the hooked rod cannot turn or be turned until the outer endoi the crank-arm has been swung clear of the end of a keeper 20 attached to the nude frame. In the modification illustrated in Fig. 5 the bent tip 2t of the arm 11 prevents the upward turning of the outwardly pointing hook 15, which must there an be turned downward to release the locking-bar. To eli'ect this the crank-arm 19, which is here pivoted between the lugs 01 a member 18 pinned to the end of the rod 16, is swung around and up, .to the vertical position shown in dotted lines, and is then drawn away from the wall of the car; and, because oi the sheathing plate oi the wall, the hook cannot by any change be turned to r lease the arm of thelocking-bar until the cranls arm has been swung around through an arc of nearly ninety degrees. 7

It is, to be understood that the invention may be further modifiedin its various do tails, within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, -is -1.-In a vehicle of the character described, the combinationjwith an underframe and two spaced walls of a discharge closure comprising a separable horizontal rail the two sections Of which are respectively hinged at their outer ends to the walls and at their inner ends are relcasably joined to withstand outward lateral pressure.

2. Ina vehicle of the character described, the j'combination with an underframe and two spaced walls of a dischar e closureco1nprising a separable horizontal rail the two sections, of whiclrare respectively hinged to the walls near the top thereof and at their inner ends are releasably joined .to with stand outward lateral, pressure and a plurality 0t stakes whichat their lower ends are releasably supportedon the underframe and at their upper ends are bracedoutwardly by the, rail.

3. In a vehicle of the character described, the combination with an underframe and twoend walls of a discharge side closure comprising a separable top rail the two sections of which are respectively hinged at their outer ends to the walls to swing outwardly thereon and at their inner ends are releasably joined towithstand lateral pressure, a plurality of stakes,.and means for locking the lower ends of the stakes to the underframe which are operable to simultaneously release all of the stakes.

4. In a vehicle of the character described, the combination with an underi'raine and two end walls of a discharge side closure comprising a separable rail of channel sections which are flexibly hinged at their outer ends to the corner stakes of the respective walls, to swing outwardly and downwardly thereon, and which overlap at their inner ends with the flanges of one section straddling the flanges of the other, one or more stakes which at their upper ends are attached to each rail section to swing therewith, and means for locking the lower ends or the stakes to the underframe which are adapted to release all of the stakes simultaneously.

5. In a vehicle of the character described, the combination with an underframe and two end walls of a discharge side closure comprising a separable horizontal top rail of channel sections which at their outer ends are hinged by universal joint connections to the corner stakes ot' the respective walls, to swing outwardly and downwardly thereon and at their inner ends overlap with the flanges of one section straddling the flanges of the other, a plurality of stakes which at their upper ends are rigidly attached to the rail sections to swing therewith, a locking-bar which is adapted to lock the lower ends of the stakes to the underiraine, in manner to secure the stakes and rail sections against vertical movement, and to re lease the stakes simultaneously, and means for securing the locking-bar in looking position which are operable at the end 01"" the vehicle back from its discharge side to rel-ease the locking bar.

6. In a vehicle of the character described, the combination with an underframe and two end walls of a separable side closure the two sections of which are respectively hinged to the walls to swing outwardly thereon about vertical axes, and means for locking said closure sections to the underframe which are operable at the end of the car for releasing the locking means and which are effective to prevent any accidental release thereof.

7. In a vehicle of the character described, the combination with an underframe and a wall fixed thereon of a discharge closure which includes a stake attached at its upper end to a member hinged to an end of the wall, to swing outwardly thereon, and means for locking the lower end of the stake to the underframe which are releasable by means operable on the outer side of the wall and from a position back from that end thereof to which the closure member is hinged.

8. In a vehicle of the character described, the combination with an underframe and a wall rigidly supported thereon of a discharge closure which includes a member hinged to an end of the wall to swing outwardly thereon, means for locking the 010- sure in closed position which include a lockingbar swiveled to the edge of the under frame, and means for securing the lockingbar in looking position which include a iooked rod swiveled horizontally to the outside of the wall and extending inwardly to a point intermediate its side, a crank pivotally attached to the inner end of the hooked rod to normally hang vertically downward when the hook on the rod is in operative position, and means for preventing the turning of the hooked rod until the crank has been swung around on its pivot through a substantial are. I

LOUIS D. GREGG; 

